Negotiations and Referrals:
The interdependence of healthcare professionals and agencies is precipitated by a system of referral that helps to place patients in the proper care contexts. Here, negotiation is generally limited by the formality which dictates when a patient does or does not require a referral. Here, Willis & Reynolds (2008) observe that "a number of health services are available to people directly in the community. These are often called primary care services. Primary care services can be accessed directly by consumers in the community without the need for referral. Most commonly, when people experience illness, they first consult a general practitioner." (p. 62) Hereafter, if the patient's condition dictates a need for more specialized attention, Willis & Reynolds report that the general practitioner may refer the patient to a pathologist, a physiotherapist or a psychologist, among other potential specialists. Negotiation of these terms is conducted by parliament, which determines when and how healthcare professionals will be reimbursed for treatment.
Working Relationships:
With its role as a central industrial power in the Asia-Pacific region bringing ever greater cultural, linguistic and racial diversity to Australia, the medical community is under increasing pressure to improve its service integration and its treatment distribution. Working relationships will center around the consistent respect paid by working professionals to the Australian Code of Ethics. This comports with a mission statement of the Code of Ethics, which claims...
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This denotes that respect for diversity is a two way street, suggesting that there should be a simultaneous effort of promoting greater respect for patient diversity by promoting diversity amongst healthcare workers. By bringing a wider representation of social demographics into participation in the healthcare system, Australia may make strides in bridging the health outcome divide between ethnicities and demographics. This denotes that the working relationships creating within and between healthcare groups will have a determinant impact on the capacity of the primary health system to meet today's diversity and poverty challenges.
Roles of Health Care Team Members:
Health Care Team Member roles are dictated by context and skill set. Accordingly, each patient should have access to a coordinated team of professionals comprised of nursing professionals, physicians, clinical workers, pharmacists, specialists, therapists and personal support systems comprised of friends and family.
Works Cited:
Australian Nursing & Midwifery Council (ANMC). (2010). Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia. Royal College of Nursing, Australia.
Australian Government. (2011). Health Biotechnology and Wellbeing. Health Team Australia.
Willis, E. & Reynolds, L. (2008). Understanding the Australian Health Care System. Elsevier Australia.
